I bought a set of Christmas presents for myself at the bookshop. Even I was stunned when I picked out the two cookbooks in hard covers. You will never associate me with wanting to read cookbooks, much less wanting to keep these books and show any sort of enthusiasm about cooking. 🤷🏻♀️
Well, these newly published cookbooks call to me- Nancy Singleton Hachisu's 'Japan The Cookbook' (2018), and Georgia Freedman's 'Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and Stories from China's Yunnan Province' (2018).
I could find similar books written in Japanese and Chinese, by 'ethnically correct' authors. But I'm not looking for recipes or authenticity. I'm not anal about that, and neither am I pedantic about recipe portions. I'm fairly adept at customizing portions and reducing volume of ingredients, based on tastebuds and what I understand. My food hasn't turned out too bad. I'm not seeking 'fabulousness', I only want to cook the food that I like to eat. After all, I'm feeding myself mainly. Heheh. The fun part- these are books that I'll never 'finish reading'. Woooohoooo.
Nancy Singleton Hachisu's 'Japan The Cookbook'
I'm looking to read stories and experiences, and these two cookbooks I bought are surprisingly a pleasure to flip through again and again. I've even found recipes that I'm keen on trying, or to cook them based on childhood memories. I'm sooooo familiar with Japanese home cooking, and I'm looking to re-create a few of my grandparents' favorite dishes.
Nancy Singleton Hachisu. The writer and cook is obviously writing for a discerning American audience, and that's cool. She was recently at a book signing at one of my favorite Seattle book stores, and my friends gave her recipes and her, as a person, the thumbs up.
The book cover is gorgeous. I was very pleased to learn that a "large portion of the recipes in this book reflect the writings of Harumi Kawaguchi, a Zen nun whom I have known for decades." I love Japanese temple food and my grandmother incorporates that into her cooking; as a result, it's instinctive for me to do that when I cook too.
Found a recipe that looks so good. Ahhh, to grill a medium-sized whole fish with salt and pine needles. That's heavenly, and it can be easily done at home. I'd soooo love to do it. When I read the book close to Christmas, there were still real pine trees available for sale. I seriously considered buying a small Christmas tree just to use its needles. But I didn't. I now have a....dried-up wreath. I highly doubt that there're any usable stalks left. Hahaha. 👀
Georgia Freedman's 'Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and Stories from China's Yunnan Province'
Why would I buy a foreigner's book about Chinese cooking? Why not? Yunnan foods are significantly different from the rest of China's. As I read on, it's very obvious to me that Georgia Freedman knows more about Yunnan cooking and food than I ever do, and more than most Chinese and its diaspora. The photos in the book are taken by her husband Josh Wand, and they're full of color, life and movement.
Of all Chinese food, I love Yunnan food most; the varied tribes offer a range of different flavors that showcase exactly the potpourri that Yunnan is. The book tries to categorize the foods into Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. The author's fairly accurate that way. 'Fried Kidney Beans with Fennel (茴香酥红豆)'? Oh yes. It's spicy and appetizing. I'm familiar with many dishes, and I'd love to read more about it. Let's put Cantonese food aside, shall we? I'm only fond of the flavors from Hong Kong Cantonese food. Food in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, is literally a different kettle of fish altogether.
The book included a chapter on 'Base Recipes and Sauces', pointing out the different oils used, as well as ground black cardamom seeds (which do not need to be toasted before they're ground). It also has a chapter on 'Pantry Staples', taking care to describe 'sour bamboo' as the type similar to Thai versions, and how sticky rice is popular in place of the regular jasmine steamed rice. It also included one on 'Tools' and a sub-section on 'Yunnan-Specific Tools', like the Yunnan steam pot to do chicken with ginger and goji berries. (I did this in a regular pot.) Very nice.
HOWEVER, I WILL SKIP ALL SICHUAN PEPPERCORN IN THE RECIPES. I HATE SICHUAN PEPPERCORN. YUCKS.
I couldn't stop giggling when I saw a Dai recipe of Southern Yunnan- 'Fish Stuffed with Spice Paste' (香茅草烤鱼). It sounded sooooo familiar. It recommends using a firm-fleshed white fish, such as tilapia. TILAPIA?! Ermmm no. I'll probably use a snapper. It also requires garlic chives, lemongrass and some sort of chilli sauce. Brain straightaway thought, "Ikan panggang!!!" 😂
Well, these newly published cookbooks call to me- Nancy Singleton Hachisu's 'Japan The Cookbook' (2018), and Georgia Freedman's 'Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and Stories from China's Yunnan Province' (2018).
I could find similar books written in Japanese and Chinese, by 'ethnically correct' authors. But I'm not looking for recipes or authenticity. I'm not anal about that, and neither am I pedantic about recipe portions. I'm fairly adept at customizing portions and reducing volume of ingredients, based on tastebuds and what I understand. My food hasn't turned out too bad. I'm not seeking 'fabulousness', I only want to cook the food that I like to eat. After all, I'm feeding myself mainly. Heheh. The fun part- these are books that I'll never 'finish reading'. Woooohoooo.
I'm looking to read stories and experiences, and these two cookbooks I bought are surprisingly a pleasure to flip through again and again. I've even found recipes that I'm keen on trying, or to cook them based on childhood memories. I'm sooooo familiar with Japanese home cooking, and I'm looking to re-create a few of my grandparents' favorite dishes.
Nancy Singleton Hachisu. The writer and cook is obviously writing for a discerning American audience, and that's cool. She was recently at a book signing at one of my favorite Seattle book stores, and my friends gave her recipes and her, as a person, the thumbs up.
The book cover is gorgeous. I was very pleased to learn that a "large portion of the recipes in this book reflect the writings of Harumi Kawaguchi, a Zen nun whom I have known for decades." I love Japanese temple food and my grandmother incorporates that into her cooking; as a result, it's instinctive for me to do that when I cook too.
Found a recipe that looks so good. Ahhh, to grill a medium-sized whole fish with salt and pine needles. That's heavenly, and it can be easily done at home. I'd soooo love to do it. When I read the book close to Christmas, there were still real pine trees available for sale. I seriously considered buying a small Christmas tree just to use its needles. But I didn't. I now have a....dried-up wreath. I highly doubt that there're any usable stalks left. Hahaha. 👀
Why would I buy a foreigner's book about Chinese cooking? Why not? Yunnan foods are significantly different from the rest of China's. As I read on, it's very obvious to me that Georgia Freedman knows more about Yunnan cooking and food than I ever do, and more than most Chinese and its diaspora. The photos in the book are taken by her husband Josh Wand, and they're full of color, life and movement.
Of all Chinese food, I love Yunnan food most; the varied tribes offer a range of different flavors that showcase exactly the potpourri that Yunnan is. The book tries to categorize the foods into Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. The author's fairly accurate that way. 'Fried Kidney Beans with Fennel (茴香酥红豆)'? Oh yes. It's spicy and appetizing. I'm familiar with many dishes, and I'd love to read more about it. Let's put Cantonese food aside, shall we? I'm only fond of the flavors from Hong Kong Cantonese food. Food in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, is literally a different kettle of fish altogether.
To be honest, however, there is really no such things as 'Yunnan food'. The province is so diverse that it contains a number of distinct styles, each a reflection of a particular area's natural resources and the cultural practices of the people who live there.
.....................
Some characteristics of Yunnan food are nearly universal. Spicy chillies, whether fresh or dried, are practically ubiquitous. Pickles of some sort make their way into dishes in most parts of the province, as do the area's renowned mushrooms. Rice noodles, called mixian, are eaten for breakfast and lunch almost everywhere. And Yunnan is particularly famous for the fact that, unlike most Chinese, many of the local minorities eat raw vegetables in various forms, as well as dairy products, including stir-fried goat's cheese in Kunming, grilled cow's-milk cheese in Dali, British-style tinned milk in Mangshi and butter and sweet-sour aged cheese in Shangri-La.
The book included a chapter on 'Base Recipes and Sauces', pointing out the different oils used, as well as ground black cardamom seeds (which do not need to be toasted before they're ground). It also has a chapter on 'Pantry Staples', taking care to describe 'sour bamboo' as the type similar to Thai versions, and how sticky rice is popular in place of the regular jasmine steamed rice. It also included one on 'Tools' and a sub-section on 'Yunnan-Specific Tools', like the Yunnan steam pot to do chicken with ginger and goji berries. (I did this in a regular pot.) Very nice.
HOWEVER, I WILL SKIP ALL SICHUAN PEPPERCORN IN THE RECIPES. I HATE SICHUAN PEPPERCORN. YUCKS.
I couldn't stop giggling when I saw a Dai recipe of Southern Yunnan- 'Fish Stuffed with Spice Paste' (香茅草烤鱼). It sounded sooooo familiar. It recommends using a firm-fleshed white fish, such as tilapia. TILAPIA?! Ermmm no. I'll probably use a snapper. It also requires garlic chives, lemongrass and some sort of chilli sauce. Brain straightaway thought, "Ikan panggang!!!" 😂
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